Sleigh and sled.



J, RANTASA.

SLEIGH AND SLED.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1908.

922,332, PatentedMay 18,1909.

1n: ungms PETERS ca. wasn'manm, p. c.

Uh! TTE STATE% JAKOB RANTASA, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

SLEIG-H AND SLED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Application filed January 9, 1908. Serial. No. 409,959.

TocZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAKOB RANTASA, a subject of the Emperor ofAustria-Hungary, residing at 8 Pramergasse IX, Vienna, Austria-Hungary,have invented certain new and useful improvements in Sleighs and Sleds;and I do hereby declare that the follow ing is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in propelled sleighs and one ofthe objects of the invention is to provide an improved propelling meansadapted to be adjusted by the operator to steer or guide the same.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improvedpropeller provided with a plurality of blades or like members extendingoutwardly from a substantially continuous surface, which latter is soarranged as to engage the upper face of the snow and pack it so thatengagement of the blades therewith will effectively advance the sleigh.

The invention wiil be more fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawing and will be more particularly pointed out andascertained in and by the appended claims.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a slei hembodying the main features of my invention, showing a portion thereofin section on lines b-t of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view with the bodyof the sleigh removed showing parts in section on lines c-a of Fig. 1.Fig. 3, is a front elevation of the propelling means showing the mannerof adjusting the same and a portion of the frame. Fig. 4 is a transversesectional view of the propeller.

Like numerals of reference designate similar parts throughout thedifferent figures of the drawing.

As shown in the drawing the sleigh con sists of a frame having runners28 and uprights 32 on which are mounted the frame members 31. A sleighbody is disposed upon the frame members 31 and may consist of a seat anda motor hood 29. It will be understood however that the device of myinvention is not limited to that class of sleighs employing a primemover.

The propeller, as shown, comprises a hub 14 provided with a polygonalbore from which radiates a plurality of braces 15. A drum 16 is securedto said braces in concentric relation with respect to said. hub and aplurality of blades or propelling members 17 are secured to theperiphery of said drunr 16 preferably in alinement with said braces 15.Said blades 17 may be provided on their outer ends with spikes orpropelling points 19, as shown. Segmental braces 18 are secured to saidblades to stiffen the outer ends of the same and form a rigid structure.The drum 16 presents a substantially continuous surface to the top ofthe snow and is adapted to be so disposed as to compress the snow whenit travels over the same. Such compression of the snow will serve topack the same between the lowermost or acting blades so as to render thesame highly effective in advancing the sleigh.

I will next describe the manner in which the propeller is mounted uponthe blades.

As illustrated a shaft 1 is rovided. and the same is preferably polygonain cross section and is adapted to fit the bore of the hub 14 with afree working clearance so as to permit the propeller to slidelongitudinally on the shaft 1 and prevent it from rotating thereon.Means are provided for adjusting the propeller longitudinally of theshaft and as shown said means consists of the following parts. A crossmember 33 is slotted at 23 and a rack 22 is slidably mounted on saidmember 33 by means of bolts 34. Arms 21 are secured to said bolts 34 andhave forked extremities engaging suitably formed grooves disposed at theend of the hub 14. A pinion 24 meshes with the rack 22 and is providedwith a pulley 35 about which a cord or wire 36 is trained. This cord 36extends forwardly about a pulley 37 provided with teeth 38 which meshwith a pinion 39 mounted on the end of a steering post 25. The usualsteering wheel 25 is disposed on the upper end of said post.

It will be readily seen from the foregoing that when the steering wheel25 is rotated in either direction the propeller will be moved laterallyon the shaft 1 thereby serving to change the course or direction oftravel of the sleigh in accordance with extent of movement of thepropeller from a central position.

As shown the propelleris driven from a prime mover 40 through belts orcords 41 and 42, the latter operating a shaft 43. The shaft 43 isprovided with chains or pulleys 44 connected by cords 45 with pins orpulleys 27, the latter being mounted on shaft 1.

It will be understood however that I do not wish to be limited to thisparticular method of driving the pro eller.

In those embo iments of my invention where a propeller as shown in Fig.4 is used in connection with a sleigh which may be guided bylateralmovement of the propeller, it is desirable to adjust the propeller upand down in accordance with the dept-h of the snow on which the sleighis traveling. If the snow is of considerable depth the drum 16 will tendto pack the snow too tightly and ride upon the snow thereby lilting therunners 28, in which case it will be desirable to adjust the propellerupwardly. On the other hand if the snow were not very deep it would benecessary to adjust the ropeller downwardly in order that the enrs ofthe points 19 could intersect the plane of the ower face of the runnersand engage the road surface. Furthermore it is desirable to yieldinglymount the propeller so that in case the variation of the depth of thesnow changes rapidly from one extreme to the other the propeller willautomatically adjust itself to the condition thereby insuring the mostefficient operation.

As shown guide-housings 3 are disposed between the runners 28 and theframe members 31 and are braced between the uprights 32 by struts 5.Said slotted on their inner walls as shown at 4 to mto.

desired tension. spring plates 6, extend upwardly through guides 46 andare ournaled in the hub 12 of 1 Said sleeves 8 are internally brackets47. threaded. Operating threaded spindles '9 engage the interior threadof the sleeves 8 and carry on their upper ends pulleys 48. A cord or thelike is trained about pulleys 48 and extends forwardly about a pulley 49which latter is adapted to be operated by a hand-wheel 10.

It will be seen from the foregoing construction that by rotating thespindles 9 the sleeves 8 will be either raised or lowered, in accordancewith the direction of rotation of the spindles 9, and the sleeves 8acting through the bolts 6 will raise or lower the shaft 1. act throughthe bolts 6 as a rigid connection but when the shaft is lowered thesprings 13 will yield if necessary. The springs 13 will permit thepropeller to raise above its normally adjusted position so that thepropeller will not have an excessive packed action on the snow andthereby retard propulsion of the sleigh. It will be understood that itis uide-housings are In raising the shaft 1 the parts will desirable forthe drum 1-6 to engage and pack the snow to a certain extent so that the1 blades 17 will effectively advance the sleigh and it will be alsounderstood that where the snow is of considerable depth, with respect tothe adjustment of the propeller, the propelling action will be somewhat.retarded if the propeller could not yield upwardly so as not toexercise an excessive packing action. If desired a brake 49 operated bya lever 50 may be provided.

I claim:

. 1. A sleigh comprising in combination, a

shaft, yielding bearings for said shaft, means i for rotating saidshaft, a propeller wheel mounted on said shaft, and means for ad justingsaid wheel laterally on said shaft to steer the sleigh.

3. A sleigh comprising in combination, a frame provided with runners,a,shaf-t, adjustable yielding hearings on said frame carrying said shaftand displaceable vertically, propeller Wheels mounted on said shaft, andmeans for displacing said propeller on said shaft to steer the sleigh.

4. A sleigh comprising in combination, a frame provided with runners, ashaft, a pro? peller wheel mounted on said shaft, means for adjustingsaid propeller laterally on said shaft to steer the sleigh, yieldingbearings mounted on said frame and carrying said shaft, means forvarying the yielding'action of said bearings, and means for raising andlowering the bearings.

5. A sleigh comprising in combination, a frame provided with runners, ashaft, a propeller mounted on said shaft, means for adjusting saidpropeller on said shaft to steer the sleigh, adjustable yieldingbearings on said frame movable vertically, rotary means for raising andlowering said bearings, and means for rotating said shaft.

6. A sleigh comprising in combination, a frame provided with runners, ashaft, a propeller wheel mounted on said shaft, yielding bearingscarrying said shaft, a threaded sleeve connected with each of saidbearings, a threaded spindle engaging each sleeve, means for operatingsaid spindles in unison, and means for rotating said shaft.

7. A sleigh comprising in combination, a frame provided with runners, ashaft, a propeller wheel movable longitudinally on said shaft, yieldingbearings carrying said shaft and movable vertically during rotationthereof, means adjusting said wheel on'said shaft tosteer the sleigh,and means for rotating said shaft. 7

8. A sleigh comprising in combination, a frame provided. with runners, ashaft, a pro peller wheel mounted on said shaft and consisting of bladesprovided with points or spikes, segments connecting said blades, a drumon which said blades are mounted, a hub supporting said drum, yieldingbearings for said shaft, means for varying the yielding action of saidbearings, said bearings being displaceable vertically during rotation ofsaid shaft, means for raising and lowering said bearings, and means forrotating said shaft.

9. A sleigh comprising in combination, a frame provided with runners, aplurality of radially projecting blades spaced apart from each other andadapted to roject into the snow a relatively considerab e distance, anda drum supporting said blades and present ing a continuous surface tothe surface of the snow and serving to pack the snow about the actingblades.

10. A sleigh comprising in combination, a propeller composed of alurality of blades spaced apart from each 0t er and adapted to project aconsiderable distance into the snow, said blades being provided on theirouter ends with propelling points or spikes, a drum supporting saidblades and presenting a continuous surface to the surface of the snowand serving to pack the snow about the acting blades, and means forrotating said propeller.

11. A sleigh comprising in combination, a frame provided with runners, apropeller mounted in said frame and comprising a hub provided withradially disposed braces, a drum mounted on said braces and presenting asubstantially continuous face to the surface of the snow and disposed ata relatively considerable distance above the bottom of said runners,blades projecting radially from said drum and spaced apart thereon andprovided with propelling spikes or points, and segmental bracesconnecting said blades.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAKOB RANTASA.

Witnesses:

ROBERT W. HEINGARTNER, IGNAZ KNORSOI-INAOHLE.

